It's Different Now
by T2 Angel
Summary: Zeke and Nix are out on the town, which leaves Cole alone for the night... until Kuo stops by. The two decide to spend the evening with one another. But things turn interesting the more they talk with one another. Cole x Kuo. One-Shot.


**A/N: Hello, all! Back quick, huh? There's a explanation later for that. For now, this is just a my take on a scene that could've happened in the game. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to inFamous.**

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Cole got back to the rooftop hideout in the Gas Works, exhausted from the past few days. After having grabbed a beer from the fridge, the Prime Conduit sat down on the couch. He remembered Zeke telling him he was going out on the town with Nix for the night. He was grateful, he needed some time alone. Between the impending arrival Beast, fighting the militia and the swamp monsters, and avoiding the hate groups, he needed a moment of peace. It was time to settle in, have some dinner, and watch some TV. The American way to relax.

He heard air suddenly dissipate behind him. He turned around to around to find Lucy Kuo standing there.

"Hey!" he greeted.

"Hey," she replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"Exhausted. Trying to track Bertrand down… drove me crazy…"

"Ain't found him yet?"

"Nope." She sat down. "What are you doing?"

He put his feet up on the makeshift coffee table made out of empty plastic crates, "Calling it a night."

"Where's Zeke?"

"Out with Nix."

"Nix?"

"Mmhmm."

That seemed… odd. The question on Kuo was mind was, were they on a date? She was about to ask the question aloud.

But Cole preempted her. "Yeah, I don't even wanna know."

Kuo shrugged and sighed. That was probably left better unsaid. She stood up, "Well… I can tell you wanna be alone."

"What makes you say that?"

"If they're out on the town and you're not, that's all the evidence I need. And it's not just that. You're always doing something to help out somebody else. Even you need a break from everything, every once and while."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess…"

"See? So, I'll just…"

"Hey…" He motioned her back, "just sit down. You can stay."

She was relieved. She really didn't want to leave. She hated being alone right now. "Thanks."

She sat back down and Cole turned on the television. They sat in silence while Cole channel surfed. He eventually found a program to park at for a few minutes.

"You hungry?" Cole asked.

"Is there any food left up here?" Kuo asked.

"Zeke bought some barbecue earlier. Want some?"

She smiled, "Sounds good to me."

Cole heated up the food and grabbed a couple of paper plates to set their food on. They spent most of the evening in silence… but a comfortable silence. Cole leaned over his plate as it sat on the table while Kuo had her back against the arm of the couch and her knees pressed close to her chest with her plate suspended above her lap between her thighs and chest.

As she ate, Kuo scoffed at a realization. "Ya know, I used to be a vegetarian."

Cole looked at her, "For real?"

"Yeah… funny, huh." She took another bite.

"Why are eating this now, then?"

"Because I'm blue and can throw ice from my bare hands. Eating habits changing are the LEAST of my issues right now."

He wasn't fooled; she didn't complain about it often but, when she did, he could tell all this still bothered her. He knew it wasn't her being a Conduit that bugged her so much... as in how she got that way. "It gets easier."

She paused.

He looked at her. "It really does."

Her mind calmed. It always seemed to when he spoke to her. She looked back at her plate, "Did you know… that I only believe that when you say it?"

"Will saying it again help?"

She nodded.

He smirked. "It gets easier. You adjust… eventually. Life will go on."

"But…" she stopped. She exhaled.

"But what?"

"It's different now… it's all different."

"Like how?"

She scoffed, "Please. Life is never going to be normal again. Even if we stop the Beast, Bertrand… a-and the Plague. Nothing will ever be normal again… not for me."

Cole saw her turmoil. But he wanted to cheer her up. Jokes usually helped. He chuckled. "Ah! Normal's overrated, anyway."

She smirked, "Maybe to you."

He chuckled again.

Kuo fell quiet. "Cole? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She shifted her position; sitting with her back against the couch as oppose to the arm. She also sat up straight, putting the plate in her lap. "You have… all this power… and all you've ever done with it… is help save everybody. Even in Empire. The whole city wanted your head and you fought like hell, nearly dying more than once, just to protect them. I guess, what I wanna know is… why?"

A good question. He hadn't thought it about it in so long. Empire seemed like a lifetime ago, now. He took a second to consider his answer. It was easier than he thought. "I've had a lifetime of experience of not going with the flow. I mean… just 'cause people hate me doesn't mean I can't help them. Actually, that's kinda more motivation: just to prove them wrong."

Kuo laughed. "You saved thousands because they didn't want you to?"

"Well, if you're just gonna put it out there like that, makes me sounds like a jackass."

"Aren't you?"

They both laughed.

"But it's more than that. It really is."

She smiled at him.

"I used to not care about other people that much. I really didn't. But the more I saw… the more I realized… I couldn't just sit by and let people keep getting hurt around me. I found out that I could help them… so… I did."

"That… makes you an amazing person, Cole."

Cole chuckled. "Nah. Just a guy who can help."

He definitely had her respect and admiration, that's for sure. But the ice Conduit still had other concerns. Kuo fell silent and moved her plate around in her hands. "So… what happens… after this is over? After the Beast and Bertrand are gone?"

Cole put his fork down and sat back. He shrugged. "Don't know." He stared at her. "What do you want to happen?"

She looked at him surprised. There was a question she wasn't prepared for. "I… umm… I… don't know… all this is new to me…"

"Being a Conduit?"

"That, too. But I was talking about something else."

"What?"

"Having friends."

"You've never had a friend?"

"Not really. Colleagues. Wolfe came close, so did John but… not really."

"Well… you've got 'em now. Is that a bad thing?"

"No… not…" Her voice caught, "not at all…"

"So?"

"So… I just thought life would be different for me after all this… I mean, hell, after you stop the end of the world, what else is there to do?"

Cole chuckled.

"I'd figure I'd either retire from the NSA or get a desk job. Get a stable life…"

Cole scoffed silently and pushed his food around.

"Find someone special to… settle down with…"

Cole stopped, smirking all the while. He looked up at her, just as she looked away. It was funny; she was blushing a very bright red to have blue tinted skin.

"But-but…" she stuttered, "th-that's just me… doesn't have to be everyone…" She blushed harder and looked away. She couldn't bear to look up at him. She was blushing like crazy. What the hell had she just said? And why the hell did she even say it?

"Anyone special in mind?"

She looked at him… and her eyes answered for her… though she had no idea how that happened. What was going on with her tonight? She kicked herself in her mind. '_Great… you just admitted to having feelings for a guy who has to save the world. Sure! Let's add extra pressure on him, stupid!_'

Cole just held his smirk. It was a little surprising that Kuo felt this way… but it was more than welcome. He shrugged, "The idea of settling down… not so bad…" He stared at her, "…long as it's with the right person."

She looked into his eyes… and she wanted to say more… but she shut those words down and replaced them with some less embarrassing ones. "I really don't think I should talk about this anymore. I don't want make a bigger idiot out of myself than I already have, Cole."

"You haven't, Lucy."

She forgot how to breathe for a brief second. It wasn't so much that he said her first name, let alone remembered it… but how strong and inviting he said it. "Did… d-did you just call me…"

"That is your first name."

"Yeah, just… it's been so long since it's anyone called me by it."

"Well, people who care about you, should."

She had to swallow a lump in her throat. Feelings were stirring up in her that she hadn't felt in… well… ever.

"Look, if I've learned anything, it's that I can't promise that this will all end well… but… however it ends… let's see what happens after that. Okay?"

She nodded.

He smiled at her and they went back to eating their meal.

After a few minutes, the feelings she was unaccustomed to came roaring back with a vengeance. So, just this once, she decided to act on them and see where they got her. She took a deep breath, set her plate down on the table and moved closer to the object of her affection. "Umm… Cole?"

"Yeah?" He looked up to see that she was just inches away from his face. Again, it was a pleasant surprise.

"I, umm…" she began, "know you said… wait… until all this was over but… I… REALLY… want to kiss you…"

He gazed into her eyes. He let his food alone. It didn't matter right now. "Straightforward with that, huh?"

"I scared off my fair share of dates with it, yeah."

"Wusses."

"That's what I always s…"

She didn't get to finish. Cole pressed his lips against hers. Kuo was surprised at first… but only for half a second. She soon kissed Cole with every bit of fervor she could pull out of her.

They kissed for a while before they both backed up to catch their breath.

"Ya know?" Cole said, quietly. "You're nowhere near as cold as I thought you'd be."

She shrugged. "Can't a woman be…" she lifted herself closer to him, "hot… around the man she wants?"

"Works for me."

They kissed again, this time much… _much_… longer.

* * *

Two hours later, Zeke and Nix stumbled back up to the rooftop, both severely drunk. They looked to see Cole and Kuo asleep with Kuo resting her head and one hand on Cole's chest and he with arm draped across her shoulders. They backed up, slowly and quietly closing the door to the roof behind them.

"Were dey…" Nix asked.

"Yep!" Zeke answered.

"Does… dis mean…"

"Yeah, probably."

"Aww, hell…" She rolled her eyes.

"Well that took longer than I thought."

"But, for real… are dey serious? Or did we just drink dat much?"

"We didn't drink _that_ much…" Zeke tried to keep his balance.

Nix caught him and kept him vertical. "Wasn't nowhere near damn enough, then. C'mon… dere's always a bar open in New Marais."

"Sounds good to me." They headed back down the stairs. "But we are teasing them like hell tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, hell, yeah!"

They both laughed as they headed back out to New Marais.

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**A/N: Okay, here's the story with this one. I actually started this before I started "Journey for the Frozen Heart." I just forgot about it. I'm going back to finishing my novel but I'm working on a couple of things at the same time. I just wanted to get this done since it was near completion anyway.**

**Thank you, everyone. Hope you enjoyed it! And... REVIEWS!**

**T2 Angel**


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